The Rocks Off 200: Nick Greer, a G Among G's

Who? Nick Greer, the bespectacled, shaggy-haired front man of Nick Greer and the G's describes himself as a self-taught keyboard player who genuinely loves his instrument and is always ready and willing to learn more. As a kid, the brand-new multiple 2014 Houston Press Music Award nominee suffered with severe asthma, and spent many nights in the hospital. One such night, around Christmastime, his mother got him a keyboard.

He fell in love instantly.

Home Base?: "My whole life pretty much resides on 20th Street in the Heights," Greer tells us. He works and records at Wire Road Studios (901 W. 20th) and has a residency his seven-piece band has a Thursday night residency at the Corkscrew (1308 W. 20th).

Why Do You Stay In Houston? In his own words:

I've been given the opportunity to represent the city and put out something that will help Houston get recognition for something other than rap. I have been here my whole life [and] moved away a few times, but this is my home.

I've worked very hard, but my success would never have been possible without the help of Houstonians like James Kelley, Andrew Adams, Mike Ballantine, and a few more. I feel like they deserve my best because they have opened their arms to me and they believe in me, so I strive to be the best.

Houston is a huge fucking town, so it's been quite a feat, but I'm very confident in this new body of work and I'm hoping for the best.

Good War Story: Crazy times in El Paso:

Strangely enough, when I was 17, I was booked on this Texas Metal Festival. Amongst the bands performing were included Project X, Seether and Powerman 5000, so we play our set, getting the shit booed out of us, and I start having a terrible asthma attack. Instead of stopping, we just kept playing. Wrong move...

By the last song, I could barely catch my breath and began to black out. We finished, and right at the last note, I collapsed. I was taken offstage in a stretcher, put in an ambulance, and taken away, as dramatic as it sounds.

It was an easy fix, nothing Albuterol and Atrovent couldn't resolve, and I was back in my dressing room within three hours of hitting the ground, just in time to see Powerman 5000 completely trash the room and offer me a beer while still on oxygen. I did not accept the beer, but very much appreciated the sentiment.

Bands or booking agents who don't work with you because of some personal shit

Non open-minded folks who refuse to explore the city

Cliques

"The short answer is that we have a shallow music scene," he says. "If Houston's artists and everyone involved would worry less about what clique everyone is a part of, we could be so much stronger."

Five Desert Island Discs:

The Mars Volta, De-Loused In the Comatorium

Counting Crows, Recovering The Satellites

James Brown, A Man's World

Michael Jackson, Thriller

Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP

... and five more, because he couldn't help it:

Ben Folds, Whatever and Ever Amen

Kendrick Lamar, Section .80

Rage Against The Machine, Evil Empire

Red Hot Chili Peppers,Blood Sugar Sex Magik

TLC, CrazySexyCool

Best Show Ever: "Actually, the Dave Matthews Band," states Greer. "I can't stand their records, but JESUS CHRIST they are the tightest band I have ever seen live. I was shocked, and didn't even want to go, but I was blown away."

Greer and the G's are holding a CD release party for their sophomore album, Heart On Fire, this Saturday at Warehouse Live. Doors open at 9 p.m., no openers, and the G's perform at 11 p.m. $15 gets you an album, a shirt, sticker and button.

See the rest of The Rocks Off 200, and a link to The Rocks Off 100, on the next page.